


no better love

by DreamBrother



Series: better love [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Coda, First Kiss, M/M, Post-Episode: s10e22 Aloha (Goodbye), series finale fix it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23483419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamBrother/pseuds/DreamBrother
Summary: "Lou, tell me, what's wrong?""Steve, I'm sorry, but I promised Danny I wouldn't tell you.""What the hell? Tell me wh-""But," Lou spoke over Steve, "I also told Danny that if you asked me straight, I wouldn't lie."(Post series-finale fix-it fic)
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Series: better love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700221
Comments: 145
Kudos: 708





	no better love

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Nada mejor que el amor](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23657104) by [skymoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skymoon/pseuds/skymoon)
  * Translation into Русский available: [Ничего лучше (no better love)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23751787) by [arrivabene](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arrivabene/pseuds/arrivabene)
  * Translation into 日本語 available: [no better love（日本語翻訳）](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23909749) by [NANAjohnlock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NANAjohnlock/pseuds/NANAjohnlock)



> April 4th 2020 - Awake since 0530 because lockdown body hates me, watched the finale, said thanks for the Danny whump but off you go now to Lenkov, spent 12 hours writing this, and voila. At this point, if this fic is vaguely coherent, I’d be happy. Enjoy. 
> 
> Spoilers for season 10. This fic is independent of any of my other series 10 fic. Title from the excellent Hozier song.

"Hello?"

"Hey buddy, how's it hanging?"

"Oh it's you, hey."

"Who else would it be? What, you've got your phone ringing off the hook these days?"

"It's possible. You're not my only friend, I'm a popular guy."

"You're a curmudgeon, is what you are. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Where are you right now?"

"Somewhere on the mainland. I'll send you a postcard."

"Can't wait."

"Everything okay? You sound… off."

"Yeah yeah, all good. Sorry, I just woke up from a nap."

"Yeah, you're a zombie until I get a cup of coffee into you in the mornings."

"Well, the doctor's told me to stay off the coffee on these meds, so.."

"You must be a joy to be around with no coffee in you. Poor Junes. Listen, how's my main man?"

"You're referring to Eddie, aren't you?"

"Of course, who else would I be referring to?"

"No one. But hey, I've gotta get ready for my PT appointment, I'll talk to you later okay?"

"Yeah no worries. Send me a picture of my dog, though, would ya? I miss that face."

"Sure, will do." With that Danny hung up and just a few seconds later a beep sounded to denote an incoming text. Steve tapped on the message and smiled as he saw a picture of Eddie lounging on the beach next to Danny's standard chair, the rays of the bright early morning sun catching on his golden fur, the rising sun just barely visible in the background. Just in the foreground at the edge, Steve could see the black shape that was Danny's cane, a necessary but hopefully temporary consequence of his recent injuries.

Wait. It was late at night in Montana so the sun would have already set in Hawaii. Why was Danny sending him an older photo of Eddie? And no way was his PT appointment this late in the evening. Before Steve had left he had sorted out the dates and times of Danny's followup doctor's appointments and PT schedule and sent out the information to Lou just in case Danny got fidgety with attendance, especially once he started getting better. It had been a couple of weeks since he'd left, sure, but it was unusual for Danny's PT to be taking place in the evening. 

Frowning, he rang Lou.

"Grover."

"Hey, it's me."

"My man! Good to hear your voice, how you doing?" At least somebody was excited to hear from him, Steve knew he could always count on Grover. 

"I'm good man, I'm good. How're Renee and the kids?"

"They're good, man. Will should be coming back soon for the summer, his semester's almost done. Renee can't wait."

"Just Renee, huh? Man, that's crazy, I can't believe he's done with freshman year already, time flies. That must mean Grace must be done soon too, that'll make Danny happy."

"That boy of ours is a different man when his kids are around, that's for sure."

"Yeah, listen, speaking of Danny, I just called him. He seemed a bit off, plus he said something about getting ready for his PT appointment but I thought those were in the mornings?"

"I don't know what to tell you man, his schedule must have changed." 

"But aren't you driving him to the sessions? According to the schedule, it's your turn this week, and then Adam's next week."

"Yeah, that changed."

"Who changed it? Danny? He is still going, right? I know he is a stubborn ass but you gotta force him sometimes."

"He is, he is going, I promise. But how about you man, tell me about what you've been up to? Been to Sin City yet?"

"Lou, what's wrong? Something's wrong, I can tell."

"Naaah man, ain't nothing wrong here. Relax, don't worry about us, you focus on you man, this is your time."

"Yeah, nice try. I'm turning video on, I wanna see your face, you're hiding something." Quickly pressing the camera icon, Steve brought the phone up to his face and waited for Lou to sort his side out. Like Danny, he was also a bit goofy thumbed with technology, except when it came to stalking their kids. Finally, Lou's face appeared on Steve's phone and he knew he was right to be suspicious - the formed SWAT captain looked downright uncomfortable. 

"Lou, tell me, what's wrong?"

"Steve, I'm sorry, but I promised Danny I wouldn't tell you."

"What the hell? Tell me wh-"

"But," Lou spoke over Steve, "I also told Danny that if you asked me straight, I wouldn't lie." The upturned eyebrows and earnest expression on Lou's face begged Steve to take the hint. 

"Oh okay. Fine. Is Danny okay?"

"I think so, yeah."

"You think? Why don't you know? When did you last see him?"

"I last saw him ten days ago." Anyone would think Lou was under interrogation, the way he answered Steve's questions in the most frustrating way possible, following the letter of the law but not the spirit. 

"Ten days! Lou, what the fuck. Why haven't you gone to see him?" Danny and Steve had messaged back and forth intermittently since Steve had left but Danny had never been an amazing texter and Steve wasn't too great with long phone conversations so they'd not really had heart to heart conversations in that time. Steve had been trying, of course, but it took more than a few hundreds miles and a few weeks to change the habits of a lifetime. 

"Because, Steve, I can't leave the island right now, gotta keep Five-O afloat."

"Leave the island? Why would you need to leave the island to check in on Danny?" A cold lump started to form in his gut. "Lou, has Danny left Oahu?"

"Yes."

"Fuck. He's left Oahu? When? Why? For how long?"

"Steve…"

"No, forget it, I'll find out myself. Where is he? No wait, let me guess. He's gone to Jersey, hasn't he?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny, Steve."

"It's fine, keep your honour Lou, I'll handle it." Steve ran his hand over his face and through his hair. "Listen, say hi to the team for me, would ya?" 

"Will do. Listen," Lou peered at him through the phone, a strange expression on his face. "Be gentle with our boy, okay? Don't go crashing in there like you normally do, you'll have to adapt your MO this time with him."

"Okay, now you're really worrying me Lou, what's going on?"

"I didn't say it to make you worry, Steve, I'm just saying, maybe think before you act a bit. Okay? Keep me posted."

"I will, bye." 

Steve hung up and immediately opened up the United Airlines app. He had a flight to Newark International to catch.

X

Fifteen hours later, Steve stood outside the door to apartment 1216 in a respectably pricey building which still ultimately looked like any other high rise residential building in the NJ/NYC area. 

He had flown into Newark airport, having called Cole whilst waiting to board to get him to track Danny's location and send him the address. Steve knew that if Danny had left having extracted promises from Lou to not tell Steve, he would have done the same with other members of Five-O. Yes, Junior probably would have given up the information if Steve pressed, but there was no point forcing Junior to balance his promise to Danny with his sense of loyalty to Steve. Lincoln would have felt no duty to maintain Danny's privacy considering he had barely spent time with Steve's partner. Besides, it was good for Lincoln to get used to the Five-O systems since he was now officially part of the team.

And now, here Steve was. It had been child's play to slip past the doorman manning the polished and tastefully decorated lobby and get into the elevator, pressing the button for the 12th floor. A quick text exchange with Lincoln had confirmed the apartment number and that Danny, or at least his phone, was currently in the building. To find out if Danny was in the apartment, because Steve refused to think of this place as Danny's home, all he had to do was knock. 

He knocked.

The tapping of a cane against wooden floors gave Steve the heads up he needed to settle himself. The door opened and there stood his partner, in an apartment in Jersey City, having failed to tell Steve he was leaving Oahu.

"Steve." Later on, he wondered why Danny had seemed so surprised to see him. Did Danny actually think Steve would let Danny leave Oahu and not notice? 

"Danny." When Danny didn't move, Steve added, "Gonna invite me in, buddy?"

Stepping aside, Danny held the door open enough for Steve to slip through. Dumping the duffle bag he had left Hawaii with on the floor, Steve first looked around the place. There was a decent size living room, and enough doors to suggest the place had two, maybe three bedrooms. A lack of personal possessions showed that Danny hadn't brought his house stuff from Oahu, but there were enough things spread around to show he had been living here awhile.

And not just Danny. Picking up the Spiderman action figure from the table next to the four-seater L shaped couch, Steve turned to his partner, focusing his attention on the toy in his hands. 

"Charlie's with you?"

"Yeah." Steve finally looked up and took in his partner. Danny had never quite got the island tan in his ten years there so he had always been pale, and combined with his recent trauma, he looked almost washed out. Dressed in a t-shirt and black sweatpants, cane in his hand, Danny looked almost the same as he did as when Steve last saw him, except he was five thousands miles from where he should be - in a chair, overlooking the beach, at Steve's house. 

"He in his room?"

"Grace took him out to the arcade two blocks away."

"Grace is here too?" 

"Yeah, she left before her semester officially ended. Went to Oahu to see Rachel for a bit and then flew here with Charlie, they only got here a few days ago."

"Right. So that would be about a week after you left Oahu and failed to tell me?"

"Steve, come on, don't be like that."

"Don't be like what? Don't be like the guy whose best friend didn't tell him he was moving across the country?"

"So? What does it matter, it literally makes no difference to you."

"It makes a difference to me when I find out I'm being lied to."

"I didn't lie to you, Steve."

"You lied by omission. You sent me a photo of my dog to make it seem like you were still at home, when really you were here."

"You wanted a photo, I sent you a photo," Danny mumbled. "Come on, I don't want to get into this here, Grace and Charlie might be back any second. Let's go."

"Where we going?"

"Rooftop garden. It's nice, quite big, not many people at this time. Plus I need some fresh air."

"Ain't gonna get any fresh air in Jersey, buddy."

"Just shut up, will you? Come on."

A few minutes, a walk down the hall and a trip up in the elevator and Steve and Danny were sat on a pair of wooden chairs, looking out onto Jersey City spread out beyond them, the Manhattan skyline visible in the distance. It was warm under the blue sky and late afternoon sun, but the heat was no match for a Hawaiian summer, and the two men sat together in silence for a while. Just as Steve was about to get to the bottom of Danny's actions, the other man spoke up.

"How's Cath?"

"Cath? How'd you know about Cath?"

"Cole. He mentioned it in passing. Seemed happy that he was able to reconnect you two. That, when you guys realised you both knew her, you said Cath was the girl that got away, so he wanted to make that right for you." 

"Oh."

"She come with you to Jersey or is she wherever you came from?"

"I don't know where she is, Danny. She surprised me on the flight, we spent a few days together just catching up, you know? But then I went to LA for a few days to see Mary and Joanie and she went to wherever she's currently working."

"Right… so you let her get away again? I don't get you, man. You're free now, what's holding you back from being with her?"

"What, you mean other than the fact that getting back together with her would be a huge mistake?"

"Why's that?"

"Isn't it obvious? So much of what Cath has done to me is what my mom did to Dad. The lying, the leaving." Steve scrubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "I've been thinking a lot, you know? Done nothing but think these days. And a while ago I wondered what if, somehow, my dad had still been alive when my mum came back to Oahu, would they have gotten back together? And should they have?"

"And?"

"No, man. My mom put Dad through hell. He spent all those years since she died just chasing her, or the memory of her. He died knowing that his wife had betrayed him, that she wasn't the woman he thought he married. She didn't deserve him, and I would have hated it if he took her back, even though it would have meant us being a family again. Whatever that means for us."

"But Cath isn't your mom. She didn't fake her death and leave you with two kids."

"Yeah, but she left me behind, more than once. I love her, as a friend, as a person, but I can't be with her."

"Okay. Whatever you say, it's your life." 

Steve turned in his chair so he could look at Danny better. Although the cane rested casually across Danny's legs, the white knuckled grip that Danny had on the handle was hard to miss, even as his friend kept looking out towards the skyline of the city he so loved. It took all of Steve to not reach out and pry Danny's fingers loose before he damaged them, but he was worried that if he did so, he wouldn't let go. 

"But I'm not here to talk about Cath, although nice deflection, well done. You gonna tell me why you left Hawaii after all the shit you gave me over leaving?"

At first Steve thought Danny was just going to ignore him, but the moment he opened his mouth to push, Danny's phone rang.

"Hey, monkey? Yeah I'm fine, you two on your way back? Yeah that's a great idea, can you grab two orders of the Philly cheese steak and fries for me? Yeah, two, can have it for leftovers. You both grab as much as you want, use my card okay? Okay see you in ten, love you."

Steve could never tire of watching Danny interact with his kids, even if just a one-sided phone conversation. Ten years ago, when the death of his father had been a fresh imprint on his heart and mind, seeing Danny's devotion to Grace, and later on Charlie, had been a balm on his wounds, reminding him many times that although his father wasn't able to show Steve his love, other parents out there, like Danno, weren't the same, and if Steve one day had his own kids, he could follow Danny’s example as a father, not his dad’s. 

Giving Danny a chance to hang up and put his phone away, he said quietly, "Danny, come on. Please?"

The sigh, limited in depth as it was because of Danny's healing lungs, told him an answer was forthcoming. 

"It's something Daiyu Mei said, when she had me, it made me think."

Steve suppressed the spark of rage that ignited within him at the thought of that woman. "What did that bitch say to you?"

"I'd said to her that maybe we should exchange insurance information, after what she did to my car. She told me a man with two kids shouldn't make jokes."

"Oh Danny…"

"And it just got me thinking, you know? I used to think it was fine if something happened to me on the job, because I knew you'd take care of Grace and Charlie for me. But it was clear that you were thinking of leaving and I don't know man. I realised that if you left, and I died, Rachel would be alone on the island as a single parent. Grace and Charlie love Lou and Adam and all, but they're not family to them, like you are."

"Danny…"

"So after you left, I just thought, maybe it's time to come back here you know? And if something happens to me here, Grace and Charlie will have their grandparents, their aunts, their cousins. It's also closer for Rachel to visit London."

"And Rachel is cool with all this? After all the shit she has put you through over custody?"

"The original reasons that made us move don't apply anymore. Stan and his job aren’t in the picture anymore, so Rachel doesn't have to stay in Oahu. And if Rachel doesn't have to stay, neither do Grace and Charlie. So I spoke to Rachel, asked if she would be okay if Grace and Charlie spent their summer, or part of their summer, with me in Jersey whilst I'm on medical leave from Five-O. Grace won't care as much because she is away at college so she'd only come here for vacation but we want to see if Charlie likes it here, if he would be okay moving."

"So this is just a trial run? You haven't fully left Oahu?"

Danny shot him a half-smile. "A matter of when, not if, don't you think? Even if we keep Charlie in Oahu for the next few years, he is probably gonna go away for college at some point, in which case, back to square one, no reason to stay in Hawaii."

"You're telling me the only reason you were on the islands was because of your kids, nothing else?"

"That's not what I'm saying, babe. If I stay for Five-O - I've been shot in the chest twice in the past two years. I don't know how many of my nine lives I have left, and that leaves me with the same problem of my kids being left without anyone but Rachel." 

"You ever consider that I haven't left Hawaii forever? And that if something did happen to you, I would come back at the drop of a hat to be there for your kids."

"I wouldn't want you to do that." 

"Why not? You don't think I'm capable of looking out for Grace and Charlie?" If Danny had just stabbed him in the chest, it probably would have hurt less. Jersey made Danny mean, he wanted his Hawaii Danny back. 

"Don't be an idiot babe, it doesn't suit you. I wouldn't want you to stay in Oahu because of them. I, of all people, know what it's like to be stuck in a place you don't want to be because of love for your kids. I wouldn't want you to go through that."

“But I would for them.”

“I know you would. That’s not the point.”

Silence descended, and Steve watched the planes in the distance landing and taking off from JFK. The breeze picked up slightly, sending the scent of Danny's aftershave his way, reminding him strongly of mornings going into the bathroom after Danny had showered, the scent lingering in the air long after the man himself had left. The last time he had smelt it was when Steve had hugged Danny on the beach the day he had left. It felt like forever ago. 

The sound of Danny's ringtone for Grace jarred the men from their thoughts. 

"Hi monkey, you back? No I'm just upstairs, in the garden. I'll be right down." 

"Should I leave?" Steve asked. He couldn't help but notice that Danny hadn't mentioned him at all to Grace, referring to himself in the singular. 

"You're here now, may as well enjoy some Jersey cuisine,” said Danny with a grunt as he used the cane to push himself to standing. Steadier than he had been when Steve had left, but it was obvious it would be a while before the other man was back to fighting fitness.

“Wow, loving the enthusiasm, buddy, I feel so welcomed.”

“Just shut up, will ya? And if you steal my fries, I’ll break your fingers.”

Dinner is… strange. The food is delicious, no doubt it’s probably one of the best Philly cheese steak sandwiches Steve has ever had, and the fries are golden and crunchy soft and perfect, not that Steve would ever admit this to Danny. But conversation is fully dominated by Charlie who was super excited to see his Uncle Steve when he walked in behind Danny, launching himself at his uncle and chatting non-stop since then, asking Steve about his holiday, and telling Steve about school, travelling with Grace, seeing his grandparents and cousins and did Uncle Steve know that he was really looking forward to going to see the Statue of Liberty up close when Danno was better?

Grace, in direct contrast to her little brother, had been near silent, only gently correcting her brother on the detail of his storytelling here and there, but otherwise just focused on eating her food whilst constantly sending worried glances Danny’s when he wasn’t paying attention. 

She’d let Steve put an arm around her in welcome, patting him on the chest but it was nothing like the hugs she would give him usually. She had been shocked to see him, and her first reaction had been to exchange a look with Danny who’d just given her a half-smile before heading to the kitchen to grab some plates and cutlery. All this, Steve had noticed whilst dealing with an armful of Charlie, and it made the pit in his stomach widen, his body telegraphing quite openly that there was something _wrong, wrong, wrong_. 

Dinner over, Steve had taken over dishwashing duty whilst Charlie and Grace spoke to their mother on the phone. Danny stood next to him, handing him one dish at a time. Steve was fairly sure his friend would have been sitting on the counter had the healing gunshot wound not limited the range of motion in his left shoulder. 

“So uh, I called Grace about a week ago, to check in on her. She didn’t answer,” Steve murmured, loud enough for just Danny to hear him. 

Grace always picked up his weekly phone calls, or called him back as soon as possible after. It had become a habit when she had left for college, and when Steve didn’t call within a certain window of time, because of a high stakes case or whatever, she would call him. They’d talk about college, her courses, her new friends and living in dorms. Steve would fill her in on how her dad was doing, she would ask Steve questions to help with her chemistry homework, pre-Med student that she was. He’d called last week when he’d realised that he hadn’t spoken to her since leaving Oahu, and neither had Grace called him. 

Danny handed him a glass. “Hmm. If it was early last week, she was probably busy with exams. She asked the college if she could do a few early so she could come to Hawaii and get Charlie. She didn’t want me in Jersey by myself for too long.”

“Speaking of, why are you in this place? Why aren’t you with your folks?”

“I didn’t want Charlie to have a wrong impression of what living in Jersey might be like, because when we move here, I’m definitely getting my own place. Can you imagine living with my parents? They’d drive me crazy.”

Steve frowned at Danny’s use of the word when to describe his move. 

“So whose place is this?”

“One of Stella’s work friends. He is abroad on a secondment with his firm, but wanted to sublet his place. He was happy to rent it to me for the summer at a decent price.”

“For the summer?”

“Yeah, depends on how Charlie finds it, what Rachel and I decide. I can start house-hunting in the suburbs before we have to move out of here if need be, or my parents can start the process for me.”

“Danny-,”

“Danno? It’s time.” Steve looked over his shoulder at Grace, who stood in the doorway to the kitchen, arms crossed in front of her chest, her eyes only on her father.

“Time? Time for what?” Steve asked, looking back and forth between father and daughter. 

Steve saw his partner smile fully for the first time all day. “My monkey’s planning to be a doctor, she’s using me to practice taking vitals. The doctor at King’s only signed off on my flying here if I sent regular updates. Grace helps me out, records the info and sends it over so my insurance company doesn’t freak out.”

“Right.” Still somewhat confused, Steve just watches father and daughter leave, before the wet glass in his hand reminds me of what he’s meant to be doing. 

Steve’s on his third episode of Steven Universe with Charlie when Danny and Grace join them on the couch, the latter with red-rimmed eyes. A quick glance at Danny who minutely shakes his head, and Steve lets it go. For now. Together, they watch another episode before Grace starts poking her little brother to get him ready for bed, but not before Steve gets a big hug, and Danny a gentler version of the same, the little boy old enough to be aware that his Danno needs careful handling. When they disappear, Steve turns to Danny who is slumped on the couch next to him. 

“Want to tell me what that was about?”

“It’s fine. She’s still a bit upset out over what happened, but she isn’t a kid anymore, so her reaction has been going into caregiving mode. It’s weird, but also nice.”

“She make you Matzo ball soup yet?”

“You kidding? Check the freezer, there’s barely any space for my ice cream.”

Steve laughed and reached out his arm over the top of the couch, his hand resting on Danny’s right shoulder. For a moment, this could have been them hanging out in Danny’s house back home, the sound of Grace and Charlie filtering in as the two older men watched TV. 

But for a moment only. Danny moved away from Steve’s hand and stood up. “Anyway, I’m tired, gonna sleep. You staying or you got a hotel booked or something?”

“I hadn’t thought that far.”

“Typical. There’s extra sheets and pillows and stuff in the closet by the door. Pretty sure this is a pull-out. Bathroom should be free soon, think there’s a spare toothbrush under the sink.”

And then Steve was alone, only his thoughts for company. Wasn’t this what he wanted when he’d left Oahu, those few weeks ago?

X

“Hey Gracie, can I speak to you for a minute?” Steve whispered. Once he’d heard the kids and then Danny finish up in the bathroom and then disappear into their individual bedrooms, Steve had gotten up to use it himself. Passing by Grace’s room, he could see a light on and the door slightly ajar. 

“Yeah sure, come in,” Grace replied, phone in her hand, sitting up against the headboard of her bed.

Steve left the door ajar behind him and sat at the end of Grace’s bed. He’d watched this girl grow up for the past ten years, turning from a sweet little eight year old kid with pigtails to a beautiful young woman who stood up to bullies and defended the vulnerable. He couldn’t imagine loving her more if she was his own biological daughter, but never had he ever felt this awkward around her. 

“Listen, Gracie, I wanted to ask… is everything okay between us? I just get this feeling that maybe I’ve done something to upset you?” Steve would have thought that if he had done something to upset Grace, he’d know about it immediately because a certain blonde ball of rage with a Jersey accent would have punched him in the face for it, but then again, said ball of rage had moved five thousand miles without telling Steve. 

“All good.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” Grace looked up from her phone briefly and shot him a quick smile before turning back to her phone. That, in itself, proved Steve was right. Grace had never acted this way around him. Yes, she was and had been a teenager, and like all teenagers had gone through the angsty hormonal phase, but Steve never saw that side of her, he always got to be the fun Uncle who took her side in battles against her father. And she’d grown so much since then that it was unlikely that’s what this was. 

“It’s fine, it’s not your problem.”

“If you’re upset, it is my problem,” Steve promised. Just like when he’d gone after the guy who’d forced Grace off the road last year and caused her to end up in hospital. 

“Not anymore, it isn’t.”

“What do you mean, not anymore?” Grace’s focus was still on her phone but Steve knew now that it was a distraction from the conversation. Sometimes, it was easier to not look at the person you were talking to when the topic made you feel vulnerable. He knew all about that.

“It means we are no longer your problem to deal with anymore.” The more Grace spoke, the more Steve realised that he’d yet to hear ‘Uncle Steve’ cross her lips since he’d arrived. 

“We?”

“Danno, Charlie and I. You’ve left, we’re leaving too, you don’t have to worry about our problems anymore. We can get on with our lives here in Jersey, you don’t have to pretend to care for us anymore. I don’t even understand why you’re here right now.”

Steve’s hand reached for Grace on instinct, and he felt his heart drop when she moved her hands out of his reach. “Grace, please. What have I done to make you think I don’t care about you guys?”

“You really need me to tell you?”

“Yes.”

“My dad got _shot_ , he almost _died_ ,” Grace’s voice broke on the last word and Steve felt his heart break. “And he hadn’t even been out of the hospital two days and you just abandoned him. He tried to defend you earlier, but nothing changes the fact that after so many years of my dad fighting for you, risking his life, he even gave you his _fucking_ liver, and you just run away and leave him alone before he could even _walk_ properly yet.” 

Grace’s voice didn’t vary in volume as her anger manifested in a whisper, but she could have jabbed a megaphone in Steve’s ears and her words still could not have been said as clearly as now. If nothing else, this sweet girl swearing was enough for Steve to realise that he had truly failed the person he thought of as a daughter in the deepest parts of his heart.

“Grace, I…” 

“Please leave. I don’t want to talk to you right now. I promised Danno I wouldn’t yell at you, and I don’t want to break my promise.”

“Okay, Gracie, whatever you want.” Steve reached to pat her on her ankle but thought better of it. As he reached the door, she spoke again. 

“Uncle Steve?”

“Yeah, Gracie?”

“You better be here in the morning when Danno wakes up. If you leave without saying goodbye to him, I’ll never speak to you again.”

“Understood, Grace. I’ll, uh, see you in the morning.”

X

Steve had never smoked in his life, past the one and only cigarette he tried with friends on a dare. When he was a quarterback, he was too focused on keeping his body in top top shape and then when he decided he was going to join the Navy, he wouldn't do anything so stupid as compromising his lung capacity by chewing on a tobacco stick.

Leaning on the rooftop ledge, watching the lights never fade across the water in the city that never sleeps, his mind and heart a mass of confusion and pain, he wished he had a pack of cigarettes, if only for his hands to have something to do. 

As the first rays of sun started appearing on the horizon, Steve left his post and made his way back down to Danny's apartment, his mind made up. Using the keys he'd grabbed from the coffee table, he let himself back in, using all the moves he'd learnt as a SEAL to be as silent as possible. No way did he want three abruptly woken Williams's on his hands before the sun was even fully up. He just wanted one. 

Figuring out which door was Danny's bedroom was the work of a moment, and Steve let himself inside. He knew the meds that Danny was probably still on would make him a deeper sleeper than usual, but he still remained super careful as he tip-toed his way towards his sleeping partner. Looking between a chair and the entire empty right hand side of the bed, Steve made a command decision. Gently, he took off his shoes and then gradually let the bed take his weight as he sat down. Satisfied that he wouldn't wake Danny, he swung his legs up and lay down, eyes on the ceiling. A breath later and his right hand reached for Danny's, circling the wrist where the abrasions from the shackles had since faded.

And then he waited. 

A moment later, a lifetime later, some time in between later the wrist under his hand twitched. 

"Didn't get enough of holding my hand in hospital, huh?" His partner's voice was soft, still partly groggy from sleep.

"Never enough," Steve replied, just as softly. "You need any meds? Painkillers? Water?" Danny had turned his face to Steve and he could just about see the glint of blue of his partner's eyes in the dim light of the room, slowly brightening as the sun rose higher. 

"I'm okay for now. Grace has the schedule memorised and she's worse than a drill sergeant." For a moment Steve thought Danny had fallen back asleep but then the other man added, "Didn't like the pull out?"

"Didn't even try it."

"Hmm. Thought I heard you leave." Of course Danny would have heard him sneak out earlier.

"I came back. I only went to the rooftop."

"This time."

"Danny."

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For everything."

"That's a bit much. Gonna have to be specific."

"For leaving when you were just barely out of hospital."

"Spoke to Grace, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. What's done is done. She'll get over it."

" _Danny_ ," Steve whispered, trying to convey in one word all that he was finding it hard to put into words, hoping against hope that Danny would just get it, that the psychic connection that they'd shared from day one as partners on the field would work here, in bed, in a stranger's apartment in Jersey City. The Danny in front of him was different to the Danny he had left behind. Closed off. Hiding from Steve. He couldn't take it anymore. He wanted his Danno back.

Finally, Danny spoke.

"I'm tired, Steve." Before Steve could respond, Danny continued. "I'm tired of the people I love constantly leaving me behind. And I'm the schmuck who goes running after them even after they leave me, like some dog desperate for affection." Danny huffed out a laugh, even though Steve couldn't think of anything less funny than what he was hearing. "First, Rachel leaves me for another man and takes my kid across the country. I follow, try to be a good father, but she doesn't even tell me I have a son for years until she needs my bone marrow. My own baby brother would rather hang out with criminals then rely on me to fix his mistakes, keep him safe. And now you. Nobody chooses me. I've torn myself in so many pieces for so many people, that I don't even know what's left of me anymore."

If Steve thought the pain he'd felt when he saw Danny's car on fire and thought his partner was inside it was the worst pain he would ever feel, it was nothing compared to now. 

Moving so that he hovered over Danny's body, careful not to place any weight on his friend, his arms and legs essentially in plank position, Steve was almost nose to nose with Danny, forcing Danny to look at him. 

"Danny, stop," Steve begged, his voice cracking. "Stop thinking that. Stop saying that. You are the best man, the best _person_ , I have ever known. Even Daiyu Mei knew that you are the person I care about most in the world, it's why she took you."

"I know you care about me babe, I've never doubted that. But even you aren't able to love me enough to stay with me." Danny's hand came up to cup Steve's cheek. "It's okay, I'm not blaming you, or asking you to stay. You gotta do what you gotta do. I'm fine." Danny smirked. "I'm used to it by now."

Steve couldn't help himself, he pressed a kiss to Danny's forehead. When the man under him didn't protest or shove him off, he risked a second one. "Danny, please stop. Listen to me. I shouldn't have left, I'm sorry. I was messed up in the head, I still am, but believe me when I say that I thought leaving immediately would keep you safe. You almost died because of me, I thought it was for the best. I was an idiot, I was only thinking of myself, but I was never leaving you. I was leaving for you."

"Still hurts the same, babe. It's still me, alone on the beach."

Steve buried his face in Danny's neck, the scent of the aftershave faint but still soothing. "Give me another chance, Danny. I'll come back to Hawaii, I'll live here in Jersey, wherever you are, whatever you want."

"No, Steve."

Steve felt tears gather in the corner of his eyes. "Danno, please."

"Babe, you always do this." Danny wrapped his arms around Steve's torso, pulling until Steve was plastered chest to chest with the man underneath him, although he tried to shift his weight away from where Danny's gunshot wound was. "You always throw yourself on top of the grenade to protect everyone else. I refuse to let you do that anymore, for me. I'm sorry I dumped my feelings on you just now, I shouldn't have." Danny's hand came up to brush through Steve's hair. "You said it yourself, you stayed in Hawaii because of your dad's case. You've finished it, you're free now. You can live your life wherever." 

"Danny, I can't imagine the rest of my life without you in it."

"You have a phone, right? We'll call, we'll text. We can FaceTime. This time I won't be shackled to a ceiling."

"Stop it, Danny. I get it, I was an asshole for how I left you, what I said. I get it."

Steve felt Danny sigh. "That's not my intention, babe. I'm just trying to stop you from feeling guilty over something you have no reason to feel guilt over. I'm fine, I'm alive, you got me out. You don't need to babysit me."

Steve removed his face from where it had been hidden in the crook of Danny's neck, looking directly into his partner's blue eyes as a sense of calm and resolve settled over him.

"Do you know where I was these past few weeks, after I left Mary and Joanie?"

"Nope. Still waiting for your postcard. Junior's been sending me photos of my mail."

"I was in Montana. Joe's place, which he left to me in his will."

"Why would you go there, Steve? You trying to punish yourself or something?"

"I wanted to have some time to just process, on my own. Dad's death. Joe's death. Mom's death, and everything she put us through. The past fifteen years of my life, chasing Hesse, chasing Wo Fat, chasing mom." Steve brought up his hand and began brushing it through Danny's hair. This early in the morning, without its normal helping of gel, it was soft and floppy. "The last time I was there, I was in such a dark place. It helped to go back, see it with new eyes. I patched it up, made repairs, painted it. I was planning on calling a realtor yesterday, to put it on the market, before I found out you'd left Oahu."

"Why are you telling me this, babe?"

"Because after it sold, I was gonna split the money. Send some of it to Joe's girl, put most of it in Grace and Charlie and Joanie's college fund, and then with the rest I was going to take you travelling, first class, like a gentleman. I had this image of just showing up at home, surprising you with the tickets, whisking you away in style."

"And then what? After our Eurotrip, I go back to Oahu, you go off somewhere else?"

"I hadn't thought that far, Danny. I told you, I just needed to clear my head, away from Hawaii, let Five-O grow without me. It was never a forever goodbye, especially not to you. I just couldn't put a timespan on it. But I was always going to come back for you. Except you ran away without telling me," said Steve, softening his words with a smile.

"So what? A couple of weeks and boom, you've found your peace?"

"No, not yet. But what I do know is that I'll never find it unless you're right there next to me, by my side. So I'll say it again, Danno, I just need you to take another chance on me. I promise I won't leave you again, not willingly."

Steve could see Danny's resolve wavering, but his partner wasn't the most stubborn son of a bitch he'd ever met for nothing. But Steve loved that about Danny, it was the reason they were both still here, alive, in this bed, at this exact moment. He went for the final weapon in his emotional arsenal.

"Do you remember us taking you to hospital, in my truck?" 

"Bits and pieces, it's hazy. Didn't Tani drive?"

"Yeah, I was in the back, with you. And a few minutes before we got to the hospital, I really thought you were going to die in my arms. I could barely feel your pulse, it sounded like you couldn't breathe properly, and you weren't responding to me, no matter what I did."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because in that moment, I realised that if you died, it wouldn't be like when Dad died, or Joe, or mom. There'd be no coming back from it, because there'd be no you pulling me back. So I promised myself that if you made it, I would sort myself out, fix whatever was messing with my head, and come back and be the man that you could rely on, not someone you had to heal. You've spent ten years watching my back Danno, always pulling me back from the edge. I wanted to be better, for myself and for you." 

Danny’s hand suddenly grabbed Steve by the nape of his neck and he was yanked down, his lips meeting Danny’s with enough force that their teeth clinked, before Danny loosened the grip on his neck so he could pull back a bit, until all Steve could feel was the gentle soft pressure of lips against his own. Then, as suddenly, fingers tightened in hair and his head was yanked back. 

“All I could think that day was that I had to hang on for you, because I refused to be another person who died on you, who you felt guilty over. Obviously I would want to live for Grace and Charlie, but this one, just this once, this was all for you. I didn’t want to say anything over the phone because I knew you’d lose it and do something crazy and get yourself killed, but once the exchange had been made, I knew you’d be coming, I just had to live long enough for you to come get me. Even when I got shot, I held on, for you. In the truck, in the hospital, it was all for _you_ , Steve.”

The truth was there in Danny’s eyes, the blue orbs finally sparkling with the passion and spark that Steve had sensed from the moment they met. He’d seen it dull on occasion, his partner’s spark diffused by the shit thrown on Danny over the past ten years, a lot it caused by Steve, but he’d never seen Danny’s eyes as bright as they were right now. 

But Danny wasn’t done speaking. “So you can imagine how much of a schmuck I felt when not even 48 hours after coming home from the hospital, your stuff is packed, you’re gone. And then Cole mentions Cath’s gone with you. I couldn’t stay in that house anymore, not with your shadow around every corner, it was too quiet, too much space on the couch. I had to leave.” 

This time, Steve pressed his lips to Danny’s, the kiss going on for longer than before, gentling and increasing in passion in waves as Steve’s hands moved to frame the face of the most precious person in the world to him. "Never again, Danno, I promise, I'll never make you feel that way again." Steve whispered in between kisses. Part of him still couldn’t believe what was happening, going from possibly losing his Danno due to his own sheer stupidity, to gaining more of him than he could ever thought he could have. He and Danny had always had that extra edge to their chemistry, obvious enough that coworkers, criminals, witnesses all made mention of it. But after years of it never going anywhere, Steve had given up hope that it ever would. Maybe Danny had felt the same as Steve, and both of them had been idiots of the highest order, too cowardly to risk something for everything.

Eventually, Steve pulled back as he sensed that Danny’s breath was becoming compromised, from the kiss, from the weight of Steve on him, his injury. Shifting so that he was lifting his weight off Danny’s chest, his knees coming to straddle Danny’s hips, Steve smiled as he felt Danny’s hands grab on to his shirt, preventing him from moving too far back. 

“Don’t wanna crush you, Danno. I think Grace would actually kill me if you ended up in hospital again because of me.” 

“Speaking of, what time is it?”

Steve glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. “It’s almost five past seven. Why?”

Danny grinned. “Five, four.”

“Why are you counting down?”

“You’ll see. Three, two.”

“Danny-.”

As Danny said one, a knock sounded on the bedroom door and Grace’s voice filtered through. “Danno, you awake? It’s time for your morning pills.”

Danny laughed softly at whatever expression was on Steve’s face. “You have five seconds before she infiltrates, babe. She’ll think something’s wrong if I don’t say anything.”

“Danno?”

Steve grinned, and with a quick final peck to his new favourite part of Danny’s face, those blue eyes now sadly coming in a close second, he twisted his body and rolled off the bed without putting any pressure on Danny, coming to a seated position on the floor by the bed but with one hand still on Danny’s wrist just as the door to the bedroom cracked open gently.

“Danno?” God, young woman though Grace was now, the edge of worry to her voice still reminded Steve of the eight year old girl he’d picked up from school after her dad’s exposure to sarin. 

“I’m awake monkey, good morning. I’m okay. Uncle Steve here is gonna help me up, then he’s gonna make us breakfast.”

If Grace was surprised to see Steve, she hid it well, although Steve wondered if it was wishful thinking on his part to think her lips quirked in a smile. 

“Okay Danno, I’ll get the butter out for the coffee.”

“Thank you, baby, we’ll be right out.”

The door closed behind Grace and Steve turned to look at Danny who had a soft smile on his face. 

“We okay, Danno?”

“We’re better. But we’ll keep working on it?”

“Anything, Danno.”

“Okay, help me up before Grace comes back and throws the pills in my face.”

“What do I need to do to fix things with Grace?” Steve asked as he helped Danny roll onto his uninjured side and then up into a sitting position. 

“Well, pancakes will be a good start. I’ll talk to her as well, but give her time. She thought you’d left her behind as well, and Charlie.”

“God, Danny, I’m so so-,” Steve started before a hand covered his mouth.

“Hey, enough of that. What matters is what you do next, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good.”

Steve paused, looking down at his partner, thinking back to the last time they stood in this position. “I love you, Danny. More than anything.”

“I love you too, babe.” 

This time, it was Danny who stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Steve, although Steve hugged back as hard as he dared with Danny’s wound. Everything that had felt wrong, been wrong, about their last hug faded and Steve felt the stirring of a feeling he’d be searching for all this time:

Peace. 

**Author's Note:**

> I tried my best! For those of you still upset with the finale, just remember that this fandom has some truly excellent writers, and I'm sure they'll help soothe our pain in the coming days and weeks. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. If you'd like to send me prompts for some fluff stuff you'd like me to write for some light relief, please message me on tumblr, I'm dreambrother89, I'll see what I can do!


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